take-up

1 of 2

noun

ˈtāk-ˌəp 

: the action of taking up

take up

2 of 2

verb

took up; taken up; taking up; takes up

transitive verb

1

: pick up, lift

took up the carpet

2

a

: to begin to occupy (land)

b

: to gather from a number of sources

took up a collection

3

a

: to accept or adopt for the purpose of assisting

b

: to accept or adopt as one's own

took up the life of a farmer

c

: to absorb or incorporate into itself

plants taking up nutrients

4

a

: to enter upon (something, such as a business, hobby, or subject of study)

take up skiing

took up the trumpet

b

: to proceed to consider or deal with

take up one problem at a time

5

: to establish oneself in

took up residence in town

6

: to occupy entirely or exclusively : fill up

the meeting was taken up with old business

7

: to make tighter or shorter

take up the slack

8

: to respond favorably to (a person offering a bet, challenge, proposal, etc.)

took me up on it

9

: to begin again or take over from another

we must take the good work up again

intransitive verb

1

: to make a beginning where another has left off

2

: to become shortened : draw together : shrink

Phrases

take up the cudgels

: to engage vigorously in a defense or dispute

take up with

1

: to become interested or absorbed in

2

: to begin to associate or consort with

Synonyms

Verb

• boost
• crane
• elevate
• heave
• heft
• heighten
• hike
• hoist
• jack (up)
• lift
• perk (up)
• pick up
• raise
• up
• uphold
• uplift
• upraise

Examples of take-up in a Sentence

Verb

please take up the blanket so I can look underneath it

the soil was so dry that the plant seemed to take up the much-needed water instantly

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

However, this is only part of the equation explaining why take-up has been slow. —Sean Lee, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025

Brook is predicting success thanks to the high take-up of SVoD in Australia, where nearly nine out of 10 households have a subscription service, while Gibbons outlined why different platforms and pricing structures have been developed elsewhere in Asia Pacific. —Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 4 Apr. 2025

Verb

Duffy also said the administration believes implementing the plan would take up to four years. —Kris Van Cleave, CBS News, 8 May 2025

Some fitness enthusiasts are taking up the challenge of walking 10 miles every day. —Maggie O'Neill, Verywell Health, 8 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1832, in the meaning defined above

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for take-up

• buttercup
• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup

Kids Definition

take-up

1 of 2 noun

ˈtā-ˌkəp

1

: a device in a sewing machine for drawing up the slack thread as the needle rises in completing a stitch

2

: a device for winding photographic film on a reel, core, or spool

take up

2 of 2 verb

(ˈ)tā-ˈkəp

1

: to begin to occupy

took up their positions

2

: to begin to engage in : undertake

took up swimming

3

: to absorb or incorporate into itself

plants taking up water and minerals

4

: to pull up or in so as to tighten or to shorten

take up the slack

Medical Definition

take up

transitive verb

: to absorb or incorporate into itself

the rate at which the cells took up glucose

take-up noun

Legal Definition

take up

transitive verb

1

: to pay the amount of (as a note) : pay in full for

2

: to proceed to deal with

take up a motion